Wood-slicing machine



April" 7, 1931. 1.. HOMMEL 1,799,814

' WOOD SLICING MACHINE Filed Jdne 12, 1929 S SheetS-Sheet l III 7o INVENTOR.

QWWWY A TTORNEYS.

- p 7 1931. L. HOMMEL 1,799,814

woon sLIcINe MACHINE Filed June 12, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 IZVENTOR ,wzd Y W A TTORNEYS.

April 7, 1931- L. HOMMEL 1,799,814

wboD SLICING MACHINE Patented Apr. 7, 1931 -1- PATENT OFFICE LEON H OMMEL, F OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA WOOD-SLICIN G MACHINE Application filed June 12, 1929. Serial No. 370,308.

This invention relates to wood slicing machines.

It is the principal object of the present invention to generally improvethe construction and operation of machines of the character referred to whereby to provide a wood slicing machine of maximum efliciency and productivity and wherein the slicing blade penetrates through the material in a parallel 1o movement throughout the shearing operation of the blade which effectively prevents distortion of the product.

In carrying out the invention into practice I provide a machine primarily designed for producing storage battery separators but I am aware that it can be utilized for various other purposes. This machine includes a revolving table over which are arranged magazines containing material to be sliced. The table carries a plurality of slicing blades which are revolved by the table. Other mechanism is provided which is operatively connected to the blades and operates to adjust the position of the blades when the machine is in operation so that the blades will penetrate through the material in a parallel path while being fed through the material by rotation of the table. In the present machine two magazines and two slicing blades are provided. so that two slicing operations are performed during each revolution of the table.

One form which the invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated by way'of example in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a view in central vertical section through awood slicing machine with certain parts in elevation disclosing the preferred form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine with parts in section to more clearly disclose the connection between certain of the operating parts.

Fig. 3 is a plan view parts thereof broken away and in section to more clearly disclose certain features of construction.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary: view. in vertical of the machine with central section Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view in plan section taken in a plane passing through the box cam 44 in Fig. 1 with certain'parts removed in order to show the operative connections between some of the mechanism.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section through one of the. knife carriages.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, 10. indicates the bed plate of the wood slicing machine and 11 indicates the upper frame thereof. This upper frame 11 is arranged substantially centrally over the bed plate as illustrated in Fig. 1'. The frame 11 is supported from the bed plate through the medium of'four vertical frame members 12 which are secured at their lower ends to the bed plate 10 and at their'upper ends to the upper frame 11. .The

frame members 12 rigidly support the upper frame 11 in proper position with respect to the bed plate.

Extending vertically between the bed plate and the upper frame and substantially centrally thereof is a stationary shaft 14 the lower end of which is mounted in a bore 15 in the bed plate. The upper end of the Shaft is mounted in a bore 16 in the upper. frame 11.

Rotatably mounted about the central portion of the stationary shaft 14 is a sleeve 17. Thrust bearings 18 are fitted at opposite ends ofthe sleeve on the shaft 14 to provide an anti-friction mounting for the sleeve. The upper end of the sleeve 17 carries what I prefer to term a horizontal table 19. This table carries slicing means for slicing blocks of wood or other material carried in maga- Zines-2O and 21 supported by the frame members 12 over the table 19. .The slicing means referred to depend uponv rotary. movement of the table for operation as will be hereinafter described.

To revolve the table the lower end of the sleeve is formed with an annular flange 22 to which a'large spur gear 23 is secured by cap screws 24. This spur gear 23 is in mesh with a spur pinion 25 secured on the shaft of an electric motor 26'whic1i is mounted on the taken on line IV-IV of bed plate in an eccentric position as shown most clearly in Fig. 2. hen this motor is in operation a drive is transmitted from the pinion 25 to the gear 23 and as this gear is secured to the sleeve 17 the table 19 will be continuously revolved at the desired rate of speed.

It will be noticed from the drawings, particularly Figs. 1, 3 and 5, that the magazines 20 and 21 are arranged at diametrically opposed points over the table. These magazines 20 and 21 are adapted to receive blocks of wood or material of a dimension that they will readily feed downwardly by gravity through the magazines to a posi ion on the table. The lower ends of the magazines 20 and 21 are open so that blocks will project a distance beyond the ends thereof in the position to be engaged by the cutting means of the table and sliced as th table revolves.

There are two sets of cutting means provided in the present instance, each set comprising a knife carriage 27 which is of rectangular contour lying in the same plane as the table and in a substantially tangential position relative to the center of the table. To accommodate this carriage the table is recessed as at 28 and at the opposite ends of the recess the table is formed with guide slots 29 within which the ends of the carriage 27 project. The guide slots 29 are formed by spaced plates 30 fitted into recesses in the table and secured to the latter. The plates 30 are held spaced apart a distance sufficient to accommodate the ends of the carriage 27 between them, the fit being such that the carriage 27 is free to slide in the guide slots 29. A roller 31 is arranged in one of the guide slots 29 and engages the adjacent end of the carriage 27 to guide the same in its oscillating or rocking movement during the rotation of the table.

The carriage 27 is formed with a longitudinal slot 32 at one side of which is a slicing knife or blade 33. The construction of the carriage is best illustrated in Fig. 6 where it will be seen that the portion of the carriage carrying the knife 33 is slightly higher than the other portion 34 of the carriage be cause it is upon the latter portion which the material to be sliced bears just prior to the slicing or shearing operation. The spacing between the cutting edge of the knife and the surface of the portion 34 of the carriage determines the thickness of the cut to be taken. This thickness can be regulated, however, by adjusting the position of the pressure block and bar 35, which form the part 34 of the carriage, through the mechanism 36 toward and away from the cutting edge of the knife 33.

It will be noticed in Fig. 3 that the position of the carriage 27 just prior to commencing the slicing operation is such that the cutting edge of the knife 33 is parallel to the adjacent side of the block. I have so connected the carriage 27 to the table that the cutting edge of the knife 33 will remain in this parallel position as it is advanced through the block by the rotating movement of the table.

This is very advantageous principally for the reason that it does not distort the product by giving it a helical twist.

To accomplish this I provide a. lever frame 37 which is rotatably mounted on the shaft 14 just above the sleeve 17. A toothed segment 38 is secured to this lever frame 37. In mesh with this segment 38 is a toothed segment 39 pivotally connected to the table as at 40. Relatively fixed to this latter segment 39 is a cam arm 41 carrying a cam roller 42. This cam roller engages the groove 43 of a box cam 44 fixed to the underside of the upper frame 11 by bolts 45.

It is thus obvious that the cam lever 41 with its relatively fixed segment 39 is revolved about the axis of the shaft by the revolving table 19 while the cam 44 is held stationary due to its connection with the upper frame 11. Thus as the roller 42 at the end of the cam arm 41 traverses the groove 43, the segment 39 will be operated at the proper intervals and will in turn operate the lever frame 37 through the segment 38.

The lever frame 37 is connected to each knife carriage 27 by a pair of parallel links 46. The inner ends of these links are pivoted to the lever frame 37 while their outer ends are pivoted to the knife carriages 27. It is the purpose of these connections between the frame and carriages to operate the knife carriages 27 during the revolution of the table so that the slicing knives 33 will penetrate through the material to be sliced in a parallel movement while the table feeds the knives circumferentially.

I accomplish this by the peculiar formation of the cam groove 43. Assuming that the carriages and cooperating parts are in the positions shown in Fig. 3 with the table revolving in the direction of the arrow A, the cam groove 43 moves the cam arm 41 in a direction causing the segment 39 to impart swinging movement to the lever frame 37 in a direction relatively opposite to the direction of travel of the table. The ratio is such that in effect the speed of movement of the lever frame 37 in one direction is equal to the speed of the table in the opposite direction so that in effect the lever frame 37 remains stationary while the table relatively advances. This takes place throughout the entire slicing operation. Therefore, as the table advances relative to the material to be sliced, the blades of the knife carriages 27 advance circumferentially through the material and penetrate through the material in a perfectly parallel movement due to the connections between the carriages and the lever frame 37 which are the pairs of parallel links 46.

This movement of the knife carriages 27 continues until the blades 33 have sheared through the material at which time the links will be fully extended as shown in Fig. 5. When the links have been fully extended as illustrated in Fig. 5, the cam roller 42 passes over a short rest period on the cam and then commences a rapid travel inwardly. This travel causes the lever frame 37 to advance in the same direction as the table at twice the speed of the table which returns the carriages 27 to positions for taking a successive cut. This position will be approximately that shown in Fig. 3.

After the carriages 27 have passed under the material in the magazines the material will bear on carrier plates 47 carried by the table. These plates 4C7 support the blocks of wood or material in the magazines until the knife carriages again pass under the blocks of material for taking a successive cut.

The slices of material cut by the knives or blades pass between the pressure bars 35 and the knives 33 as the knives advance through the blocks and discharge downwardly on to conveyors 48 one of which is arranged under each magazine. These conveyors 48 are constantly driven from the sleeve 17 and act to convey the slices from the machine. The conveyor drive consists of a transverse shaft 4E9 journalled at its ends as at 50. At its center it is provided with a gear 51 in mesh with a worm 52 formed on the sleeve 17. Chain and sprockets 53 connect the shaft 49 to the drive shafts of the conveyors 48 so that these conveyors will be continuously driven when the table is in operation. i

In operation of the device, blocks of wood or other material properly treated are placed in the magazines 20 and 21. These blocks may be fed downwardly through the magazines either by their own weight or by additional weights placed thereon. As the blocks pass through the magazines they will either bear on the carrlages 27 or on the carrier plates l7 so that they will project beyond the ends of the magazines a proper distance. The portions 34 of the carriages 27 and the carrier plates 47 lie in the same plane and 2- can be vertically adjusted so that the thickness of the slice may be regulated.

The motor 26 is then placed in operation and causes the table to revolve. .As the table revolves it will assume the position shown in Fig. 3 with both knives or blades about to commence shearing through the blocks. As this position is reached the cam will commence to actuate the segment 39 through the cam lever 41 to maintain the lever frame 37 stationary with respect to the table until the cam roller 42 has reached the high point of the cam. During this time the table will be,

advancing and the knife carriages will be moved relative to the table so that the knives will penetrate outwardly through the blocks in a perfectly parallel path While the table is revolving.

As soon as the knives have penetrated through the blocks they will be in the positions shown in Fig. 5. At this time the formation of the cam groove 43 will cause the segment 39 through the segment 38 to swing the lever frame 37 in the same direction as thetable but at twice the speed of the table, so that the knife carriages 27 will again be moved relative to the table and return to starting position preparatory to taking a second slice. Asthe wood is sliced the slices will pass between the knives 33 and the pressure bars and discharge on the continuously operating conveyors 48 which will convey the slices from the machine.

I desire to point out here that by regulating the length of the links 46 I can change the ratio of penetration of the knife relative to its travel through the block, so thata greater or lesser shearing action will be obtained. Also, I desire to point out that the knife is not drawn inwardly under the block after the out has been taken. This is a very advantageous feature as this return action of the knife would have a considerable dulling action-on the blade and also increase the friction losses of the machine.

Another advantage of the present inven' tion is that the out is a perfect shearing action through the block which does not result in warping or distorting the product. This warping of the slice would be the result of a circular slicing motion of a knife through a block.

It is very obvious that although but two knives are provided in the present machine, the machine is capable of a very large production as there are no dead strokes or lost motion in the machine. The fact that the table is revolved continuously at a highrate of speed increases the productivity thereof and the slicing action is practically continuous.

Although in the present instance I have shown a machine with only two blocks and two knife carriages, I may desire to build a machine with but one carriage or with a num-. ber of carriages greater than two.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invent-ion, it is to be understood that various changes may be made in its construction by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pattent is: i

1. In a machine of the character described, a revoluble member, a shearing blade carried by said member and positioned within the radius of travel of the revoluble member whereby it will revolve simultaneously with the member,'the cutting edge of said blade lying parallel to the plane of rotation of the revoluble member and being disposed substantially normal to a radius emanating from the center about which said member revolves, means for moving said blade outwardly from the center of said member during the slicing operation of the blade while maintaining the cutting edge constantly parallel to its starting position.

2. In a machine of the characted described, a revoluble member, a pair of cutting blades carried by said member and adapted to revolve in unison therewith, said cutting blades lying parallel to the plane of rotation of the revoluble member and being positioned at substantially diametrically opposed points on the member within the radius of travel of said revoluble member and disposed with their cutting edges arranged normal to a radius emanating from the center about which the member revolves, and means for imultaneously moving the blades outwardly from the center of the member as the member revolves through its shearing cycle, 21H means operatively connected to the member and to the blades for maintaining the cutting edges in parallelism with their starting positions during their outward movement.

8. In a machine of the chara ter descri (V a rotatable table, a pair of knife carriages arranged on the table at diametrically opposite points thereon, a knife on each carriage with its cutting edge lying parallel to the plane of rotation of the table, a connection between said carriages and said table where by the carriages will revolve in unison with the table, said connection permitting a certain amount of relative movement between the carriages and the table, means operatively connected to the table and to the carriages to cause the carriages to move outwardly in parallelism during the shearing cycle of the table.

4. In a machine 01" the character described, a revoluble table, a knife carriage carried by the table at a point thereon within the radius of travel of said revoluble table, a connection between the carriage and the table whereby the carria e will revolve in unison with the table, a blade carried by the carriage and ar ranged with its cutting edge lying parallel to the plane of rotation of the revoluble table and disposed normal to a radius emanating from the center about which the table revolves, moans operatively connected to the table and to the carriage for causing said carriage to move outwardly from the center of the table during the shearing cycle of the table, said means maintaining the cutting edge of said blade in a position parallel to the position it assumes at the commencement of its shearing cycle during the outward movement of the carriage.

5. In a machine of the character described,

. a revoluble table, a knife carriage carried by the table and connected therewith whereby it will revolve in unison with the table, said knife carriage being permitted a certain amount of movement relative to the table, a blade carried by the carriage and positioned with its cutting edge lying parallel to the plane of rotation of the table and disposed normal to a radius emanating from the center about which the table revolves, a magazine to receive and direct material to be operated upon into operative position relative to the blade, means operatively connected to the carand to the table for advancing the blade outwardly through the material as the table moves the blade through its shearing cycle, said means automatically maintaining the cutting ecge of the blade parallel to the position it assumes at the commencement of its outward movement during the entire outward movement of the carriage.

6. In a machine of the character described, revoluble membe a cutting blade posi tioned witl the radius of travel of said revoluble memler and arranged with its cutting edge lying parallel to the plane of rotation of said member and normal to a radius emanatn from the center about which the member evolves, a magazine positioned above the '1 her at a radial point, said magazine ber em adapted to receive and direct material to e operated upon into operative position relt e to the blade, means for moving the blade utwardly through the material as rotation of ie member draws the blade through the material, said means automatically maintaining the blade parallel to one side or the material during the period the blade is penetrating through the material.

7. A device of the character described comprising a revoluble table, a pair of knife carriages connected with the table and arranged at diametrically opposed points thereon within the radius of travel of said table, said knife carriages being connected with the table whereby they will revolve simultaneously therewith, the connections between the carriages and the table permitting the carriages a certain amount of movement relative to the table, a blade carried by each carriage and arranged with its cutting edge lying parallel to the plane of rotation of the table and disposed normal to a radius emanating from the center about which the table revolves, a pair of magazines above the table adapted to receive and direct material into operative position relative to the blades as the table revolves, said magazines being positioned whereby rotating movement of the table will draw the blades through the material supported by the magazines, means whereby the blades will be moved outwardly to penetrate through the material as the table revolves, said means automatically maintaining the blades parallel to their starting positions during their penetration through the material.

8. A machine of the character described comprising a revoluble table, a knife carriage positioned within the radius of travel of said table, a connection between said carriage and the table causing the carriage to revolve with the table but permitting the carriage a certain amount of movement relative to the table, a blade carried by the carriage and arranged with its cutting edge lying parallel to the plane of rotation of the table and normal to a radius emanating from the center of the table, a magazine for receiving material arranged above the table and adapted to direct material to be sliced into operative position relative to the blade, means operatively con-- nected to the carriage to automatically adjust its position relative to the table and mate rial whereby the blade will penetrate through the material in a parallel shearing movement.

9. A machine of the character described comprising a revoluble table, a knife carriage positioned within the radius of travel of said table, a connection between said carriage and the table causing the carriage to revolve with the table but permitting the carriage a certain amount of movement relative to the table, a blade carried by the carriage and arranged with its cutting edge lyin parallel to the plane of rotation of the table and normal to a radius emanating from the center of the table, a magazine for receiving material arranged above the table and adapted to direct material to be sliced into operative position relative to the blade, a frame normally revoluble in the same direction as the table, parallel links connecting the carriage to said frame, means operatively connected with the frame and to the table to cause the table to advance relative to the frame at the commencement and during the slicing operation whereby the carriage will be moved outwardly by the parallel links and advanced through the material as rotation of the table draws the blade t the material, said means at the end of the slicing operation causing the frame to advance at a greater rate of speed than the table toposition the carriage for a successlve operation.

10. A machine of the character described comprising a revoluble table, a pair of knife carriages positioned at diametrically opposed points thereon within the radius of travel thereof, connections between the carriages and the table whereby the carriages will revolve with the table but permitted a limited amount of relative movement with respect to the table, a slicing blade carried by each carriage, said slicing blades being arranged with their cutting edges lying parallel to the plane of rotation of the table and normal to a radius emanating from the center about which the table revolves, a frame normally revoluble about the same center and in the same direcnroughv tion as the table,'pairs of parallel links connecting the frame with the carriages, a cam, and an operative connection between the cam and the frame for causing the table to advance relative to the frame at the commencement and during the slicing operation of the carriages whereby the carriages will move outwardly on the parallel links and advance the blades through the material to be operated upon, said cam and connection at the end of the slicing operation causing the frame to advance at a greater rate of speed than the table to position the carriages for successive operations. 7

11. A machine of the character described comprising a revoluble table, a pair of-knife carriages positioned at diametrically opposed points thereon within the radius of travel thereof, connections between the carriages and the table whereby the carriages will revolve with the table but permitted a limited amount of relative movement with respect to the table, a slicing blade carried by each carriage, said slicing blades being arranged with their cutting edges lying parallel to the plane of rotation of the table and normal to a radius emanating from the center about which the table revolves, a frame normally revoluble about the same center and in the same direc tion as the table, pairs of parallel links connecting the frame with the carriages, a cam, and an operative connection between the cam and the frame for causing the table to advance relative to the frame at the commencement and during the slicing operation of the the material.

LEON HOM'MEL. 

